


Help Me

by pavusaf



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: And also he has freckles because there's nothing to shade his face, Bar scene/ alcohol mentioned, But he's a bit shy about them, Evie's there for like TWO seconds at the end, Graphic depiction of killing blighters, Jacob and Abberline realize they love each other and it's great, Jacob misses his hat, M/M, No smut but there's lots of heavy kissing at the end, also a height issue is mentioned briefly but it's not a big deal, but it's alright i love her and she was busy with henry if u know what i mean, but it's alright it leads to cuddling, jacob feels a bit insecure when evie's taller than him, lots of fluff, naturally he looks absolutely adorable with them, what a nerd lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 11:48:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10696401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pavusaf/pseuds/pavusaf
Summary: After Jacob loses his favorite top-hat he enlists the help of his favorite cop to help him find it. Unfortunately the search proves to be a wild goose-chase and lead them into trouble. However the two of them struggle with addressing their long-time feelings for each other and romance ensues.





	Help Me

                Sergeant Frederick Abberline was tucked neatly into his desk, face buried into paperwork, and wind raging outside of his window as it often did early in the fall. Regardless of the changing seasons he could be found like this while the weather was in any state, most of the time, the other times he was clad in impossible disguises doing field work. On days like this, where the air would sting his face and through squinted eyes he’d need to search for perpetrators, he was quite content to be in his office warm and well away from nature’s mood swings. Contrary to most officers, he found filing reports to be soothing, a relaxing sort of activity (so long as the load was fair of course). He’d planned to stay as he was for hours, until he found himself forced into the darkness and the absence of the raucous laughter outside that came with his colleagues rang in his ears. Until he was smacked with the realization of his utter exhaustion- then he would be satisfied with the knowledge that he’d had a productive day at work. However in the moment he had a hand poised over the latest report, the ink neatly printed all over it as his eyes scanned it over with an intense focus.  

He didn’t bother to glance up at the slight rustling of the curtains, in fact he didn’t even notice it, nor did he notice the gloved hand grip the inside of the window frame. Jacob pulled himself up slowly, peering into the brightly-lit room first. When he spotted Abberline he pushed his torso into the room, then his hips and legs followed. He lowered his boot down onto the mahogany softly, eyes never once breaking away from Abberline’s own. When he was fully into the room he could only stare perplexed at the lack of a ‘hello’ or even an acknowledgement of his presence.

Jacob pulled on a smile half of amusement and the other half uncertainty. He lingered there a moment in front of the active curtain, the dark red cloth danced around him wildly. No matter how hard the wind made it wave, Abberline payed it no mind, it was as though his report was the only thing in the room. The sudden rumble that came from Jacob’s throat seemed deafening in the room devoid of any sound but the occasional breezes from outside.

His head shot up at once, a bewildered expression was painted on with widening eyes and slack jaw; his body followed, boots slamming into the ground with a thud as he stood, various objects clattering wildly onto the wood below and his fingers grasping at his gun. There was a full beat before he registered the face a few feet in front of him, and as quickly as it came the surprise melted into a disdainful scowl.

“Oh god, how many times do I have to tell you to use the door?”

His hands dropped and his body relaxed considerably but his glare was still in place. Jacob only widened his smile and darted around the question.

“I’m sorry, Freddy. However I’ve got to admit that it’s a bit more obvious why the crime rate is still so high, hope you’re more observant on the street than you are in your office.”

“I apologize that I don’t expect them to crawl through my window especially when they know that I am busy with work.”

“Well perhaps now you’ll be a bit more diligent.”

Abberline dropped down to the hard wood, rolling his eyes. He clamored about reaching quickly for all of the loose papers and tools that had once been meticulously placed about his desk.

 “Anyway, what is it that you want? I don’t have time to play games with you.”

“On the contrary this is urgent and that’s why I came to you for help.”

Jacob crossed the floor, boots hammering with every step before stopping at the desk. His eyes slid down to meet Abberline’s and his brow creased with distraught.

“Oh? What is it? Need me to bend the law or perform some bordering illegal task for you?”

“Not at all, I’m here to report a kidnapping, actually.”

Jacob dipped down near the mess of papers and reached for the ones still decorating the floor.

“Hah-hah. I’m serious, Jacob, I don’t have time for this.”

“Please, I really need your help.”

Jacob’s head cocked to the side and where a smile usually was, appeared a hard pout. His lips were drawn in and puffed out, brow creasing with despair and eyes widening ever so slightly. Abberline cast his gaze down as soon as he caught wind of Jacob’s tactic. He struggled to avoid eye-contact, his frown deepening with vexation as he attempted to refuse.

“Jacob…”

Jacob didn’t squander his time in trying to contemplate what to do, he felt the urgency of the moment grab him. He found his fingers grasping Abberline’s shoulder. Jacob could feel his heart pause in his chest for a moment, he wasn’t sure what he was doing and even though he was trying to be playful, his movements didn’t feel playful- they felt real. Jacob didn’t pause to consider another course of action, he had past the point of no return when his hand initially touched him. His fingers began to slide down the coarse dark blue uniform of Abberline’s arm, they glided down with deliberate slowness. Abberline’s dark eyes followed the half-gloved hand as it made its descent, he could feel his cheeks darken with color

“Please, Freddy. You’re the only one who can help me.”

Jacob didn’t plan his voice to come out like that- purring and warm. It startled them both and Jacob pulled away quickly, wearing a smile as though it were all some sort of joke. Abberline struggled to speak, he spluttered for a moment and found that he couldn’t refuse.   

“Alright, who is it.”

Jacob struggled to conceal a triumphant smile as Abberline reached for his notepad and pen.

“It’s my hat. It’s been gone at least a week, now.”

Abberline glanced up from the notepad to study the other, it wasn’t until now that he had noticed the lack of Jacob’s favorite hat atop his head. He wouldn’t describe his look without it as strange in a negative way, in fact he found quite a liking to it. Without the hat he could observe all of his features without a heavy shadow obscuring them and tousled wind-blown hair was no longer hidden under anything. As his eyes fell down all of his features he suddenly paused as he noticed something absolutely new on Jacob’s face. He had to blink once, then twice, to confirm that the small spots dusted on his friend’s nose and cheeks were no trick of his vision. He couldn’t help himself from staring dumb-struck at the barely visible freckles and felt flustered at the unusual feeling he felt bubble in his chest. It took Abberline a split-second to realize his mind wandering and cheeks heating more than they already had before his eyes snapped back to the paper.

“You said this was a kidnapping.”

Abberline suddenly looked invested in the blank notepad as he buried his face in it, hoping that his sheepishness and red cheeks weren’t apparent.

“It is a kidnapping.”

“You mean to say theft, maybe.”

“I know exactly what I mean.”

Abberline threw an exasperated look and hesitated a moment before giving in and marking the pale paper with the word ‘kidnapping’.

“What makes you so sure that you didn’t just lose the hat during one of your rough carriage rides or something of the sort?”

Jacob pulled his hand through his hair absentmindedly, his lips dipped slightly as he struggled to recall the exact moment. He began to shake his head, slowly at first then it quickened with certainty.

“No. I remember… I didn’t lose it.”

“Alright, well we best start our search now, it’ll be easier in the daytime.”

Abberline was the first to stand, he was eager to go outdoors and escape the warm air and confusing atmosphere. Perhaps with the cold wind smacking into him all of the thoughts that clouded his head would be whisked away with the breeze, but he could only pray. After steadying himself on his feet he lent his hand out to help up the other. Jacob grasped it and he found himself suddenly fixated on the hand now in his, where they had just been, how they’d trailed down him slowly, how it now gripped him so tightly. He’d still been lost in thought as Jacob tugged on his hand, Abberline barely snapped into the present as he pulled, (huffing a bit with surprise at Jacob’s weight). Abberline most definitely did not anticipate Jacob to come up flying towards him. Jacob smashed straight into Abberline pushing him against the hard wood of the desk, and he found himself trapped between the two. It was only a split-second that they were in that position, but it was enough. It was enough for Abberline to notice the gleam in Jacob’s bright hazel eyes, enough to admire his scars and freckles up close, enough to realize that his body was pressing against his own. Jacob pulled away quickly, the embarrassment he felt almost seeping through the surface, nearly breaking into a blush on his face, but it never came. His face was, if only for a single second, a myriad of everything he felt. It could only be described as a tableau of his feelings: shock, infatuation, and bashfulness. It gave way quickly to an amused grin, masking everything on the interior.

“Oh Freddy, perhaps we should find my hat first.”

Jacob was smiling still but his voice was a low whisper, regardless of his words playing the moment as a joke. Abberline could only find himself capable of nodding and shifting away from the desk awkwardly.

He was accustomed to Jacob’s flirtatious nature by now, of course, yet it had never been so frequent and so suggestive in the past as far as he could recall. He couldn’t tell how he felt about it either, he wanted to be professional and accept that it was simply Jacob’s nature, however he couldn’t help himself from enjoying it. Then again perhaps Jacob was flirting as he usually did and Abberline was simply imagining it due to… due to what? Abberline couldn’t accept the thought of having romantic feelings towards him… it was an impossibility and useless to even entertain.

“W-where-“

Abberline cleared his throat before finishing his sentence.

“Where should we start?”

\--

One moment the two of them were surrounded by the serene setting of Scotland Yard, the quiet warm of the office and the unspoken reassurance of being surrounded by the law. The next Abberline found himself gripping the wooden seat of the cart holding back yells as Jacob dashed through London traffic, narrowly avoiding collisions and numerous casualties. The strict officer that he was wanted to scold his friend and take the reins himself, however he couldn’t shake the underlying enjoyment and thrill he felt from the ride. Aside from the chaotic atmosphere that came naturally to Jacob, the view was scenic and the company was enjoyable. The air was just beginning to transition to the fall, the cool wind lured the leaves off of trees and Abberline was thankful that he’d remembered his coat in time. Jacob didn’t even seem to feel the sharp winds from their speed, in fact the only discernable traits from the wind were Jacob’s squinted eyes which were starting to water and his messily blown-back hair. Jacob glanced over to Abberline with a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“You can loosen your grip on the seat now, we’re almost there.”

Jacob’s eyes lingered for a second longer, a twinkling in them which Abberline struggled to understand, he wanted to stare back, to freeze the moment there. Was it odd to say that he looked perfect in that moment? His eyes teary, not a full-blown smile on his lips but enough to make it endearing yet still so very Jacob, the danger of the moment- Jacob’s eyes locked into his regardless of the…

Yells of urgency came nearby and Abberline barely recognized the oncoming collision in time. The shouting slapped Abberline back into reality as he pulled the reins away from Jacob into his own hands harshly and pulled the cart into a sharp turn, narrowly avoiding a gilded carriage headed straight towards them.

“Jacob!”

Abberline hissed, shooting his companion a look of reprimand before his eyes darted back to the street. In response, Jacob crossed his arms and huffed lightly, he shot a glare behind him towards the carriage and a finger.

“It was the other drivers fault entirely! Most likely in too big of a rush to deliver his master to a soiree, or something of the sort, to pay attention to the street.”

A few moments passed between them with nothing in the air but silence, Frederick’s eyes locked onto the traffic in front and nothing else while Jacob struggled to cope with the embarrassment of the previous entanglement.

“Left up here.”

Jacob’s voice was quiet now and his arms began to loosen from the tight hold they had on each other when crossed. Frederick couldn’t help his lips turning downwards as he began to notice the deterioration of the area- the place looked shady without a doubt.

“Quick, Freddy, in there.”

The cart jerked into the narrow alleyway that lie in front of Jacob’s urgent finger. Abberline glanced over his shoulder hastily across the street and noticed the dark red of the blighter’s uniform.

“You never told me that we’d be venturing into dangerous areas.”

“What? Afraid of a little danger?”

“If I was afraid of danger, I wouldn’t call you my friend.”

Jacob chuckled, and Abberline felt that strange bubble in his chest again, he could only follow Jacob out of the cart and down the alley and try to ignore the strange feeling that his laugh had brought.

“So, who is it exactly that stole your hat?”

“Blighter leader by the name of Harold Drake.”

Abberline’s nose wrinkled with disgust as he recognized the name, he’d been trying to catch the man for months.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Last I remember having it I was clearing out a blighter-infested area and the coward fled the scene.”

Jacob paused at the corner and glanced outward before continuing down another alley none the cleaner than the previous.

“Your entire reasoning is that that was the last you had your hat and some blighter ran away so it must be him?”

“I just know it’s him.”

At this point Abberline knew it was pointless to fight the faulty logic, Jacob was far too stubborn and they were already trapped in the area with blighters patrolling on nearly every street. Jacob led the way through the narrow passages and past buildings that looked ready to collapse ten years ago, all the while Abberline followed absent-mindedly, his eyes were trained on the notepad he held tightly in his hands.

They came to an abrupt stop at the corner of a ruined old house, Jacob glanced around the corner and over the area before pausing and turning over his shoulder to whisper to Abberline.

“Stay here, I’ll be back in a second.”

Before Abberline could form words to create a response, Jacob was already flying towards the roof of the ancient building through the use of his grappling hook. Naturally Abberline could only sigh, shake his head with a sort of disapproving fondness, and tilt his head back to try to keep an eye on him.

Jacob was perched on top of a decrepit chimney, his eyes scanning over the entire area carefully to get a somewhat accurate assessment of the Templar stronghold. Fortunately he could only see about seven blighters- it was slightly less than the typical stronghold but that only simplified the job. It wasn’t usually his style to plan as meticulously as he did now, to count off and double check the cartridge of his gun, or to make sure that none could see him now as he crouched. Then again, he wasn’t usually protecting someone else, and never nearly someone so important to him. He had to snap his thought process back on eliminating the Templars- and more importantly, getting his hat back. Jacob had never been so masterful at the art of stealthy assassination as his sister, the way she blended with the shadows and crept up as suddenly as a breeze and disappearing without a trace. The thought of his own methods- rough punches and messy bullets stealing away their last breath was the cause of the worry which suddenly grasped onto him. His main priority was to keep Abberline safe, his hat came second. With a last look around he felt confidence grasp him and he stepped towards the edge of the two-story and made his descent.

Jacob crashed into the ground much harder than he’d anticipated, kicking up clouds of dirt and withdrew coughs and a look of agitation from Abberline. He could only smile apologetically and promise to land with more consideration next time.

“Who’s there?”

The foreign voice cut through the air like a sharp blade, it rumbled as though it were thunder and promised lightning all the same. Abberline fumbled for his gun for the second time that day, a look of unease seizing his face.

“I know I heard something.”

The voice was nearly around the corner and Abberline only grew more panicked as Jacob’s only answer was a single finger in the air, signaling to wait.

“When I find you I swear to God I’ll-“

His speech was cut short as Jacob swooped quickly around the corner, his blade digging into the other man’s throat with ease. He only struggled for a moment, eyes wide still trying to comprehend his situation, lips shaking and voice garbled trying to form a yell but unable to.

Abberline couldn’t find a reaction in himself, he felt his grip loosen on his gun and swallowed down all of the fear he’d felt a few moments ago.

“One down, six more to go.”

“Have you got a plan on how to go about this?”

 “Of course, kill them all and get my hat back.”

Jacob provided a shrug and a little smile, Abberline could only sigh and nod his head, there was once again no point in arguing.

“You might want to follow close by, this isn’t exactly the safest area in London.”

“Have you forgotten that I’m a cop?”

“How could I? You only remind me every other sentence.”

Jacob took Abberline’s scoff in reply as the signal to proceed in the area, and continued past the ancient home and deeper into blighter territory. Abberline’s footsteps were light, cautious, his hand still gripping the weapon alert of any possible threats. Jacob seemed undeterred by the fact that there were at least six more threats in the area, he walked as he always did: with confidence. Regardless of the fact that Abberline found this rash, he couldn’t help himself from admiring it a bit. He’d never properly seen him in action before, not for an extended period of time such as now, after witnessing the blighter die by his hands earlier he felt a surge of excitement and fear.

It wasn’t until the sudden roaring laughter of two blighters rang in their ears that Jacob’s body tensed and Abberline’s grip only tightened on his gun. Both of their footsteps slowed as they headed towards the source of the noise, they stopped as soon as they reached the end of the battered house they had been following. Jacob tilted his head slightly past the corner, holding his breath and praying that the blighters weren’t as near as they sounded. Jacob exhaled with relief as he noticed that he could only see the backside of the dark-red blighter uniform, it would be far easier to eliminate them. Jacob put up his hand once more, and mouthed ‘Stay here’ before sliding past the corner towards the two blighters.

“You’re lyin’, Theodore.”

“I swear to God she did!”

The blighter’s exclamation came as a surprise, Jacob slowed his movements and continued towards them. They both erupted into laughter, it would be their last smile and last moments. Jacob readied his blade, his breathing was controlled, eyes shifting between the two of them quickly. It was then that he plunged his hidden blade into ‘Theodore’s” back, his face wasn’t visible but Abberline could only imagine it mirrored the sick surprise of the other dead blighter. Jacob was quick about his work, the second man struggled to process the events before him just as Jacob jerked the blade out of his friend and pivoted to slit his throat.

“Well that’s taken care of.”

Jacob turned over his shoulder to Abberline, a grimace on his face and two bodies piled on each other mixing blood and dirt at his feet. Abberline nodded stiffly and followed, carefully stepping around the corpses and dark pool of blood accumulating from the man’s throat.

“Perhaps we should stop blindly glancing over corners and get an actual assessment on the locations of the remaining blighters.”

“I suppose, but then what’s the fun in that?”

Abberline could only offer a stern raise of his eyebrow and a finger pointing to the roof of the house nearest. Jacob conceded, sighing a bit as he readied his rope-launcher for the lift.

“Fine, just give me a moment-“

“I don’t think so. You’ve been leaving me behind corners waiting and sitting like some sort of chained dog. I’m the Sergeant here and I demand that I go wherever you go from this point on.”

He paused a moment to consider if Abberline was truly serious, staring for a moment and when his stern expression didn’t shift, he knew that he’d have to give into the demands.

“Jeez, Freddy, if you wanted to lead all you had to do was ask.”

“I’m not asking for your permission, Jacob.”

Jacob gave an entertained smile and gestured for Abberline to continue up to the roof.

“Understood. After you, _Sergeant_.”

Abberline observed the perimeter of the home and huffed a bit, the building was extremely unstable, even if he were to attempt the climb he was afraid that it would crumble under his feet.

“Problem?”

Jacob leaned against the wall and feigned innocence in his joke, making a show of playing with his rope-launcher.

“None whatsoever.”

Abberline was reluctant to pass the side of the house they were on however there were no opportunities in the current area for a higher-view, he had no choice. He was cautious as he passed the edge of the house, straining his ears for any nearby noises that could pose a threat to them. His eyes snapped over to the rickety ladder propped up against the home and he sighed with relief. While it didn’t exactly look stable, it would serve its purpose well enough.

“Get over here.”

Abberline hissed into the air, looking around for Jacob, he was suddenly gone from his spot on the wall.

“What are you waiting for, _Sergeant_?”

Abberline followed the noise and tilted his head back to see Jacob on the roof, grinning down at him.

“You frustrate me to hell sometimes.”

“I know. Now get up here before they all die from old age.”

Abberline climbed the ladder gradually, the rungs creaked and bent under his weight but he couldn’t stop. As soon as he reached the roof he was quick to pull his body fully off onto it, away from the deathtrap that helped him get up there. When Abberline turned he found Jacob already in an intense focus as he stared below them, his eyes darted all around the space almost as though he could see into the homes and watch every blighter as they went about their rounds.

“In this house directly in front there are three playing a game of cards.”

“What? You can’t possibly know that.”

“Oh yeah? Well if I can’t possibly know that then you’d have no problem with a bet.”

“A bet? Fine, because as far as I’m concerned you can’t see through walls. What is it?”

“If I’m right then you owe me a kiss.”

Jacob’s lips curled into a smile as he pointed to his cheek.

“What?”

The shock was visible on Abberline’s face as he spluttered out a reply to the outrageous request however Jacob showed no shame in his words.

“What’s the problem if I can’t possibly know?”

“Fine. If I win, you will _only_ refer to me as Sergeant Abberline.”

“Sure thing, Freddy.”

Before he could reply Jacob leaped onto the roof in front of them, he landed lightly with a quiet thud and motioned for Abberline to follow. Abberline frowned as he sized up the jump, it wasn’t too bad but if he slipped the fall was sure to lend him a few broken bones.

“Jacob…”

“If you’d prefer to wait out here-“

Before Jacob could finish his sentence Abberline filled his lungs with air and dived for the roof. The land was rough and loud, but Abberline hardly noticed. He was too busy laughing from the surge of adrenaline and the feat he’d just accomplished.

“I made it!”

Before Jacob could reply he began to hear the sound of chairs scrapping wood, the sound of alerted blighters.

“They’re coming, get ready.”

“What-“

The hatch in the roof opened and a young woman’s head popped up, fortunately she faced the other way but it was only a matter of seconds before she noticed and reacted to the intruders. Her head moved about as she glanced in the wrong direction, Jacob’s hand slid under his coat and felt for the sharpness of a blade, he planned to take his chances while she was still unaware. He hurled a knife towards her head, biting his lip with dread as it darted past her.

“Fuck.”

He hissed sharply and the woman’s head whipped around, her teeth bare eyes and eyes wide.

“James! Ed-“

Her voice was screechy and loud, there was no way her comrades hadn’t heard it. Jacob hurled a second knife, it slammed into her shoulder.

“Hurry up-“

She struggled to pull her body up without letting her guard down; she needed her arms to push herself up. In the moment that she paused to get up Jacob seized the opportunity. He threw his third knife. This time the blade crashed into her eye, the force of it pushed straight into her brain and in that moment she stopped squirming and stopped screaming.

“Edna?”

The deep voice came with a knowing sorrow and it approached with heavy melancholy in each step. The hatch was still wide open with Edna’s body hanging limply, it wouldn’t be long before the man discovered it.

“We should get out of here while we still can.”

Abberline’s voice was soaked with urgency, his hand gripped Jacob’s arm with authority.

“We can’t, it’s too late now.”

Almost as if on cue, a man cried out with a mix of emotions, namely sadness and intense fury. Edna’s body fell and they could hear the crash it made with the floor somewhere below them. Hands gripped onto the roof and a man’s head followed it, his face was contorted with blood-lust the moment he spotted Jacob and Abberline.

“Edward, Intruders!”

The man hoisted himself onto the roof quickly, he didn’t make the same fatal mistake as Edna. Jacob desperately grabbed at his coat feeling for even an outline of a knife, the man was coming closer by the second and he doubted that he could miss from this distance.

The man paused only for a second as his friend climbed through, his eyes were still glued on Edna as he made his way up, if Jacob wasn’t mistaken they were teary. He could use their intense emotion to his advantage.

“These are the fuckers that murdered Edna.”

“In cold blood it looks like, didn’t even get a chance to defend herself.”

The blighter’s friend made his remark with eyes still trailing back to where their friend lay deceased.

Jacob wrapped a tight fist around the kukri in his coat, it was still concealed so as not to alarm the blighters, he couldn’t afford that now. The first blighter was coming closer, his stance was strong, ready to attack. Soon the blighter was so close Abberline could see his knuckles turning white with the severe way he balled his fists. His friend was close behind him, waiting for the signal, his eyes still wet with thoughts of Edna. The blighters were so close now that Abberline was beginning to panic, his eyes flew all around desperately trying to formulate a plan.

“Is that one of the fucking Frye kids?”

“Damn, we really get the honors of murdering this little shit?”

Jacob didn’t reply right away, a slow smile came instead. He was far too focused on sizing them both up and deciding how he should get rid of them. He needed them to make the first move, to be so blinded by rage that he would be given the advantage. So naturally, he taunted them.

“I didn’t realize I was such a big deal, I’m flattered, truly. However, as much as I’d like for you two chumps to get your revenge and all, I’d back off if I were you, unless of course you wanted to join your friend, Edna.”

As much as Abberline wanted to glare at Jacob for his rash speech he wasn’t allowed any time before the first blighter came lunging at Jacob.

“ _I’m going to fucking kill you!_ ”

Jacob barely dodged the swipe aimed at him and finally snatched his kukri out of the confines of his coat.

“Funny, Edna said the same thing.”

The first blighter’s face was a dark red by now, a growl ripping through him as he leapt towards Jacob again. The other blighter glanced at Abberline and wore a look of uncertainty.

“What do we do with the cop?”

“Forget him. We need to kill this bitch _now_.”

The second blighter threw a malign look at Abberline before pulling out a knife and running towards Jacob.

“Oh come on, it’s like you don’t even want to avenge her!”

The second blighter ran up in Jacob’s blind side and slashed wildly- that comment drove him mad. The knife cut through the coat barely and marked his skin slightly, Jacob bit his lip and suppressed the yelp that formed in his throat. The two men, faces hardly recognizable as humans from the intense rage that filled them, were gaining on him.

“What’s wrong? Lost your tongue? Or perhaps it was just your courage.”

The first blighter wore an ugly sneer as the words tumbled out. Jacob’s lips began to curl and his brow dipped with frustration, his mouth opened as though another comment was about to come. The blighters waited with anticipation, eager to make Jacob regret every syllable he uttered. Instead of a comment, Jacob’s kukri flew at the first blighter hard and quick.

It was then when the fighting grew intense and fast-paced so that Abberline could hardly observe with certainty what was happening from where he stood. He could only see the continuous strikes Jacob delivered to the first blighter’s face, this made him grow slow, however the second blighter was relentless and Jacob struggled to put him off. After the initial blows to the first blighter, Jacob’s luck died down, he could only block the numerous swipes aimed his way. He struggled to gain offensive with both of them relentlessly thrashing at him. Abberline took a few steps to the right in an effort to distract the blighters and give Jacob the opportunity he needed. The split-second that the first blighter’s eyes snapped over to Abberline was enough. Jacob thrashed wildly at the distracted blighter, bloody gashes marked the blighter all through his arms and two on his chest.

“Damn…”

The man mumbled, he was thrown off of his focus with the pain ripping through him, he would be much easier to put down. However both of the blighters still engaged with Jacob, the second blighter now fighting harder than ever. The first blighter was still weakened yet continued to deliver regular blows without fail. They continued on stabbing and blocking and Jacob began to grow confident in his ability to put them both down with their repetitive movements, it wasn’t until Jacob felt the edge in the roof when he realized what their tactic had been.

“Jacob!”

Abberline stared on in horror watching Jacob’s heels kiss the air and his torso desperately leaning forward in an attempt to stay on the roof. Jacob shifted a bit to the side with success, however he knew that he couldn’t go on like this for much longer. Abberline suddenly dashed forward and with all the power he could muster he launched the second blighter off of the edge. The first blighter stared dumbly as his friend went flying with extreme force towards the unforgiving ground. Jacob took his chance and shoved his kukri deep into the distracted blighter’s chest. He pulled the blade out quickly, not wanting to keep him suffering and tossed him roughly off the edge with the other body.

“Go be with Edna.”

Jacob mumbled and stared down at the two still corpses for another moment before shifting his attention back to Abberline.

“You saved me.”

Jacob smiled softly at him. Abberline felt himself unable to reply to that, the warm fluttering sensation grabbed his chest again and rendered him dumb-struck.

“Let me see your arm.”

Abberline grabbed Jacob’s arm and examined the wound. It wasn’t bad at all, the most damage was to the coat which took most of the hit, the actual cut was shallow and a few drops of blood stained the white of his shirt.

“You’re lucky, it hardly scrapped you.”

“I can’t even feel it anymore.”

“You should really learn how to shut your mouth, for God’s sake.”

“You’re starting to sound like Evie.”

Jacob dropped in through the hatch in the roof, careful not to step on Edna’s body or even look at it. Abberline peered down into the home from the roof.

“Come over here.”

Jacob’s voice was muffled with distance but the excitement in it made Abberline curious. He lowered himself in slowly averting his eyes from the corpse.

“Where are you?”

“Second-floor, take a left.”

Abberline made his way, following the instructions until he turned a corner and spotted Jacob sitting at a table set for 3 with a mess of cards decorating it, feet up on the table and between his fingers laid a king of hearts.

“Go fish.”

“You planted it, there’s no way-”

Jacob stood up and tossed the card back onto the table, his smile was wide and obnoxious.

“Don’t worry, you can wait till we retrieve my hat.”

Jacob ignored Abberline’s attempts to protest as he dashed down the next flight of stairs to the ground-level.

“Come on, all that’s left is Mr. Drake.”

As soon as Jacob was out the front door his vision switched and he searched for the last Templar, the one who had taken what was rightfully his.

“He’s up there,”

Jacob extended his finger to point to the house a few feet away, he watched as the man’s figure go about his business without a clue of what awaited him. Abberline nodded his head, not trying to question how he knew but trusting him instead.

“Climb through the window and catch him by surprise and I’ll get the stairs in case he tries to flee.”

Jacob was quick in his movements, he moved like an excited squirrel as he was fueled by the thought of being reunited with his hat.  He lifted his head slowly eyes peering into the room to reveal Drake shuffling through various papers, unfocused on the window. Jacob slid into the room silently, the Templar didn’t shift his gaze from the work regardless of his body facing towards the open window. Jacob crouched low and moved carefully until he was directly in front of his target, it was then that he made his presence known. He leapt up and grabbed Drake pushing his back against him and poised his hidden blade at his throat. Abberline rushed into the room the moment he heard the cries of frustration from Drake.

“Where is it?”

Drake fought against his grip but the blade just threatened to dig into him sooner.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“My hat, where is my hat?”

“You’re-You’re fucking hat, are you serious?”

“Does this feel like I’m joking.”

The blade pressed into his neck and Drake yelped in response, his fear was starting to bleed through his calm exterior.

“I don’t have your hat, I swear.”

Drake’s voice was desperate and anxious, the voice of a man who knew he was about to die yet still clinging to the possibility of life.

“Tell me the truth.”

“I am!”

“Jacob… I don’t think he’s lying.”

Harold Drake’s eyes were wide with terror, his body stiff as he stared at Abberline with a silent plea.

“You swear you don’t have it.”

“Yes- yes, I swear, I swear!”

“I believe you.”

Jacob ended Drake’s life with one quick jerk of his hand, it took a few seconds for him to drop to the floor, hands desperately flying to his throat in a futile attempt to keep the blood in. He stared at Abberline with horror as he bled out, and in a minute he was dead.

“Jacob, you didn’t have to do that.”

“He’s a wanted criminal, I did the world a favor.”

“What a mess…”

Abberline sighed and stepped around Drake’s still corpse, he crossed to his desk and began shuffling through the documents present. Jacob rummaged through drawers and searched the room thoroughly before giving in.

“Not here.”

“Perhaps you lost it sometime after and you just don’t remember.”

“Maybe.”

They descended the stairs, Jacob slumped with defeat and Abberline tried his best to console him.

“Why don’t we visit the shop next and I’ll get you a brand new one?”

Jacob could only shake his head with dejection and mumble sorrowfully.

“I was so sure…”

“I know… Hm, I think the cart was over this way.”

They continued on in silence, walking at a leisurely pace now that there was nothing else to be done. It wasn’t until they passed the home with the trio of dead blighters that they heard something. A cough. It was close, very close.

Abberline slammed Jacob onto the wall and pressed against him, he slid a finger over his lips and gestured to show that there was someone nearby, coming closer with every second. Jacob nodded, eyes wide and a bit dumb-struck at the shock of it all. Abberline shot his head behind the corner briefly to catch a glimpse of what the situation might be. Much to his dismay he spotted a heavy, brutish blighter. Damn, of course it was. He mumbled a curse and leaned forward to whisper to Jacob, his lips brushed his ear slightly as he spoke.

“It’s a brute, we shouldn’t engage him head on.”

The words came straight into his ear but Jacob wasn’t focused a bit on what they meant. As Abberline pulled back in hopes of a response he found Jacob’s eyes shifting down to his mouth. Any other time he would have been flustered, he might of even blushed but now they needed to think fast.

“Jacob.”

“You’re so close…”

He mumbled in response, a single hand gripping Abberline’s back.

“Jacob, _focus_.”

Abberline snapped at him, Jacob’s eyes flew back up to meet Abberline’s and his lips curved to reveal a careless smile. The coughing was growing louder and Abberline muttered a hard ‘ _fuck’_.

“He’ll be here any second, there could be more we didn’t know about and he could alert them all.”

Abberline wasn’t so much talking to Jacob anymore as he was formulating his thoughts out into the air with harsh whispers.

“Freddy relax, its one brute.”

The coughing was unmistakably just around the corner now, there was no more time left for thinking, Abberline needed to act. He didn’t even stop to consider how badly it could go, he drew his gun and dived from behind the wall. The moment he spotted the man, he lined the shot and pulled the trigger. The bullet drilled straight into his skull with a _boom_ , the bullet slammed into him with an intense force that caused his body to slam into the ground loudly.

“Ah, maybe you really are a cop.”

Jacob appeared from behind the corner examining the blighter with apathy. Abberline glanced behind him with agitation and holstered his gun.

“Let’s get out of here.”

When they reached the familiar alleyway, they were both taken aback to discover that the cart that had taken them had disappeared without a trace and was nowhere to be found.

“It’s fine, there’s plenty to hijack out in the street.”

“There’s no way we’re stealing someone’s carriage.”

“It’s not stealing if you don’t keep it.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. Come on, the walk won’t be too bad.”

They followed the sidewalk, moving side by side yet not speaking. Now that the threat had been eliminated they couldn’t stop their minds from wandering to what had occurred between them against that wall. Jacob shoved his hands into his pockets and stole furtive glances towards Abberline every now and then, and Abberline tried to pretend that he didn’t notice and kept his eyes trained on the ground.

They’d continued on like that sharing nothing but silence for a while; however Abberline was the first to break it.

“Jacob, why is it that you love that hat so much?”

“Hm? Oh… I suppose that I’ve just always worn it, even when we were back in Crawley.”

“Is that why you’re always wearing it? It reminds you of home?”

“No, I just look fantastic in it, that’s all.”

“Really?”

“Well…I know you’ve noticed these stupid freckles by now.”

Jacob’s hand flew to his nose and rubbed lightly with irritation as though he could simply wipe them away. Abberline’s eyes fell down to look at them but glanced away quickly.

“I’ve noticed.”

“I look just like Evie with them, don’t I?”

“That’s why you hate them so much? Because you don’t want to look like your sister?”

Abberline stifled the laugh that was in his throat but it didn’t escape Jacob’s notice.

“That’s not the _only_ reason.”

“What’s the other one?”

“You better not laugh if I tell you.”

“I promise I won’t.”

“Fine…it adds a bit to my height. Ever since Evie started wearing heeled boots I’ve been looking shorter than her and she refuses to switch shoes.”

“Oh, Jacob…”

Abberline couldn’t help but smile.

“You said you wouldn’t laugh, you liar.”

“I’m not laughing, I’m smiling.”

“You’re smiling because it’s funny to you.”

“Not in the slightest.”

“Then why is it?”

“Because you manage to viciously kill blighters all day without blinking and still somehow be adorable.”

“Oh, Freddy. You think I’m adorable?”

“I mean…”

Abberline found himself tripping over his words as Jacob retaliated with a flirtatious tone, it threw him off completely.

Jacob halted suddenly, his eyes trained on the old bar they were standing in front of. It wasn’t the classiest place in town, it was somewhat rickety and grimy, however through the unclear window Abberline could see it was also heated and lively.

“Let’s stop in here for a bit.”

“I think we’d better get back to Scotland Yard.”

“It’s my treat.”

“That’s what you said last time.”

“Oh please, Freddy. Isn’t it enough that I’ve lost my hat?”

“Your freckles are fine, you don’t need that hat anyway.”

“Alright then if not for my hat let’s go because you love me.”

“This is ridiculous, it’s the middle of the week.”

“Oh come on.”

“Fine… but just one drink.”

He conceded with a sigh, not even pausing to think of how he might regret it because he knew that he probably would but Jacob wouldn’t relent. Jacob beamed as he opened the door, it creaked loudly but no one in the place seemed to notice, they were far too preoccupied with their drinks and conversation.

“’Ey you, sir! I was wondering when you’d come back ‘round. You left your hat the last time you got smashed.”

The bartender voice boomed throughout the place the moment he spotted Jacob. In his hand was the prized top hat and Jacob face lit up with excitement.

“Oh, I’ve missed you!”

He fixed it on top of his head with satisfaction.

“How did I leave it here?”

“You passed out and fell on the floor and I ‘spose it toppled right off your head.”

“That’s right… I came here after taking that stronghold to celebrate. Must’ve got so drunk that I couldn’t remember it.”

“That’s just wonderful.”

Abberline shook his head and took a seat at the bar in the seat next to Jacob, even the seat creaked as he pushed his weight onto it. It took him a moment to get settled and ignore the fact that the place was in shambles and there was a possibility that it could collapse at any moment. However, when he finally was pulled into the moment he realized that a feeling that could only be described as euphoria was grabbing him. The hat was where it belonged, sitting atop Jacob’s head, the bar was warm and buzzing, and Jacob was by his side content and smiling at him. The bartender served them quickly, he was obviously expecting to be quite busy with refilling Jacob’s cup all night.

“No breaking my property or starting fights this time, Sir.”

“Of course.”

Jacob drained the cup quickly, his eyes flickering over to Abberline’s cup, he found himself disappointed yet not surprised in the slightest.

“Stop sipping at it, just drink it already.”

“I’m pacing myself.”

Abberline took a small sip before setting it back down onto the bar and pretending to be taking in the décor.

“C’mon, just drink it for god’s sake.”

Abberline gulped it down quickly and slammed the glass back onto the bar. He looked over to Jacob for a reaction and was hardly let down when he spotted the amused surprise.

“That’s my Freddy! Two more over here!”

“Jacob, this is the last drink then we’re leaving.”

\--

It had been four and a half drinks later that Abberline found himself thrust out into the brisk air once more, this time Jacob grabbing his arm and grinning like a lunatic.

“Mhm, where are we off to next?”

“We… we aren’t… ah I’m taking you to the train station.”

Abberline found himself in a confused yet ecstatic daze which could easily be blamed on the alcohol.

“I don’t want to go to the train station. I haven’t even got a ticket.”

“Evie… I’m taking you to Evie.”

Abberline took a sharp turn on a street that looked vaguely familiar.

“No, Freddy you _can’t_. Oh, she’s going to scold me.”

They stumbled together through the desolate late night streets of London, it was dark and foggy which made it all the harder for Abberline to navigate.

“Should be… this way?”

“Freddy, don’t take me to the train… take me back to your place.”

Mid-sentence Jacob’s voice shifted to a whisper and glanced all around as though he were sharing a secret.

“What the hell are you talking about now?”

“Evie’s no fun but… but I think we could have fun.”

“Jacob… I-I don’t know what you’re talking about just hush while I try to find where the hell we’re going.”

Abberline was beginning to grow frustrated as he passed what looked to be the same shops he’d just seen and Jacob wasn’t making it any easier with his constant comments.

“I’m sorry I always call you boring, I don’t mean it.”

“You call me wh- Never mind, I forgive you just stop talking.”

“In fact I wish you weren’t always so busy with work, then I might see you more often.”

“Stop talking, damn it.”

Abberline squinted through the fog attempting to read a sign that might give him a general idea of where they were but failed to do so.

“You feel the same, I know it.”

“For the love of god _just shut up_ , shut your mouth for once in your life! _Please_.”

Abberline had reached the brink of exasperation as he roughly grabbed Jacob. Jacob’s face was one of shock, his mouth was wide open and eyes alarmed, but it took only a second before he melted into giggles. Abberline could only sigh and close his eyes, he knew that they would probably be lost until the daylight. Jacob’s head came up slowly, bobbing around without direction until his eyes caught onto something in the distance.

“What’s that?”

Jacob broke away from Abberline’s hold and staggered towards a series of bright lights, the fog was beginning to disperse.

“Jacob… stop, where are you going.”

Abberline wasn’t fast enough to stop Jacob in his hurry to find the source of the lights and could only hopelessly shuffle after him struggling not to trip. As the lights became closer and the shape of it started to form it was clear what it was.

“The train station! Oh good lord, thank you.”

Abberline caught up to Jacob, he lifted his hand up and lightly patted Jacob on his shoulder, he was embarrassed and wasn’t sure what else to do.

“Didn’t mean to raise my voice, sorry.”

“I’ve already forgotten about it.”

They both made their way over to wait on the sidelines where the Rook train was expected to appear. They stood side by side in silence, the train station was vast and nearly desolate, at this hour it held an almost eerie vibe compared to how it bustled and thrived during the day.

“I’m freezing, warm me up.”

Jacob turned to Abberline with great effort, a look of dismay painted on his features. A gust of wind swept by and tickled his face stirring up his hair slightly and his cheeks were ruddy not only from the cold but also from the copious amounts of alcohol.

“How?”                         

Abberline’s words came out slowly, the perplexity he felt etched clearly onto his face.

“Like this.”

Jacob eliminated the distance between them as he staggered forward. He collapsed into Abberline, and pressed his face into the crook of his neck. He could feel Abberline freeze up but in his current state he couldn’t find the capacity to care and wrapped his arms around him tightly.

“Much better.”

Jacob’s voice was muffled and soft.

“Don’t… what if someone sees?”

Jacob lifted his head a moment to look into Abberline’s eyes, their faces were hardly inches apart and both were swept up in a startling surge of intoxicated emotions. Abberline felt frozen as he gazed into the hazel eyes in front of him, his eyes shifting down to his red cheeks adorned with freckles, and then lastly down to his lips. Jacob leaned in, his eyes on Abberline’s lips as well, his hands urging him closer.

“Who cares?”

Jacob’s lips met Abberline’s softly, it was warm and tasted like beer but neither pulled away. Abberline only deepened the kiss, his hand came up and took hold of Jacob’s cheek, caressing it gently. They broke only briefly to catch the breaths that they’d been so sweetly deprived of, their eyes were still locked deeply into each other, hands gripping on tightly as if fearing the other might disappear.

“Warm yet?”

Abberline’s lips curved into a delicate smile and Jacob couldn’t help but mirror it.

“Not quite, but I think I’m almost there”

Abberline’s face came close again, hovering just above Jacob’s, his eyes closed slowly and their lips almost met in the middle. Suddenly the deafening rolling of the train interrupted and they pulled away from each other with haste.

“Well there’s your ride.”

Abberline shuffled about shyly, eyes casted down. He was reluctant for the night to end, he felt as though the moment they were both in their right minds they would pretend this night never happened and think on it with shame. However Jacob only grinned wickedly and took hold of his tie, tugging slightly.

“Oh officer, shouldn’t you escort me and make sure I get into bed alright?”

“Jacob… your sister…”

Abberline hissed glancing about nervously as though Evie might be listening.

“What about her? She’s always in bed early, now c’mon.”

Jacob led Abberline into the train by hold of his tie, they were surrounded by total darkness and Jacob fumbled about grasping onto whatever he could as he struggled to find the way to his personal cart.

“This way…”

Jacob opened a door and Abberline entered blinking wildly trying to adjust his vision. The room was a mess, papers strewn about, the couch sloppily made, but Abberline adored how it was so absolutely Jacob. He didn’t have time to take the whole room in before Jacob was pushing against him, his mouth locked over Abberline’s. He pulled away for only a moment to throw his ripped coat into the corner of the room, not bothering to look where it had gone. Abberline stole this brief moment that his mouth was free to speak.

“I only agreed to come to make sure you were safely put in your bed…”

He paused, distracted by Jacob lifting his shirt over his head.

“… nothing more.”

“Well then put me in bed, officer.”

Jacob pulled Abberline close by his hips, his mouth simply hovering over the others.

“I’ve got work tomorrow, Jacob.”

“We both know that if you didn’t want to be here right now you wouldn’t be.”

Jacob murmured against his lips, his hands trailing down his body. Abberline hesitated for a moment to think, he glanced around the room quickly unsure of what to do but all he could see were Jacob’s dark eyes and sharp smirk so close to his mouth. Abberline found the urge to resist disappear, and his lips pressed hard against Jacob’s lips and hands pulled him in close by his back. Abberline laughed softly and admired him for a moment.

“That’s what I owe you for losing the bet.”

Then Jacob found himself spiraling towards the couch behind him from the push of Abberline’s hands and his mouth catching Jacob’s once more. Jacob’s tongue pressed into Abberline’s mouth eagerly and grasped at his back desperate for more. Abberline felt at the hardness forming in Jacob’s pants. Jacob pulled away from the kiss, tilting his head back and groaning, his hat tumbling off of his head and crashing into the ground.

“You’re going to lose your hat again.”

“Shut up and fuck me, Freddy.”

Abberline smiled and leaned onto the couch, half-on-half-off as he kissed Jacob, his arms pinned to either side of his body. It all felt so overwhelming and sweet, he’d waited so long to taste his lips like this, to hold him like he did now. Jacob pulled at the button’s on Abberline’s shirt with frustration, neither had much patience.

_Jiggle, jiggle._

Abberline’s head shot up, pulling away from Jacob’s lips as he heard the handle of the door turn, his heart froze in his chest and he felt all of his breath suddenly sucked out of him. He was paralyzed there as he stared in the direction of the noise, he was incapable of moving. The door opened slowly, the light was blinding as it flowed in from the other train cart, the figure was obscured by the brightness, only a shadow looming in the doorway.

“Jacob, there you are! Oh Sergeant Abberline, I can’t thank you enough for making sure my brother got home safe.”

Abberline could only blink in surprise as he began to recognize the voice.

“Ah yes, Miss Frye… I couldn’t just leave him there, who knows what sort of trouble he would’ve gotten himself into.”

“Indeed.”

Evie smiled and came closer becoming visible in the dim light. She looked quite different in the evening compared to when Abberline saw her during the day. She was surprisingly clad in a nightgown with dark locks set free upon her face, wildly sticking up and curled, but the smile she wore (though lethargic) was unmistakably Evie. Regardless of her good-natured expression, her eyes held a discontented gleam as she glanced over to Jacob, she could tell that he was an absolute wreck and felt nearly embarrassed for the Sergeant to view him in such a state.

 “Oh, Evie, Freddy can’t leave either, he’s drunk too.”

Both Abberline and Evie were surprised to hear Jacob pipe into the conversation, his head shot up and swayed a bit as he struggled to see his sister through the darkness.

“Oh Sergeant you’re free to stay here till morning of course, I know it’s a bit… homely from this view…”

She glanced around the mess with distaste.

“There’s not much room, really only my bed and Jacob’s couch, but if you’d like the chair in my cart, it can be quite comfortable.”

“Freddy’ll share the couch with me.”

Jacob grabbed Abberline’s arm stubbornly and Evie’s smile shifted to a frown at his comment, she despised seeming like an unprepared host.

“Jacob, hush.”

“Actually, I’m a bit worried that it might not be a good idea to have him unsupervised in this state, I think I’ll stay here but thank you for the offer.”

Abberline swallowed nervously, he stared at Evie in anticipation of a strange look, perhaps she would refuse and cast him out. However, Evie only smiled, her eyes shifted between the two briefly before nodding her head.

“Of course, someone’s got to watch him.”

Evie’s voice held a knowing tone as she backed away, her eye twinkling as she shot one look back and opened the door.

“Good night.”

The moment the door clicked into place, Abberline exhaled the breath he’d been holding in.

“Hm, talk about a mood killer. I never walk in on her and Henry.”

“Does…does she know?”’

“Of course, Evie knows everything.”

“Ah… I see.”

Abberline glanced shyly towards where Evie had just been standing, Jacob snuggled into the couch, eyes slipping closed.

“Damn… She made me lose my excitement. Now I’m just tired.”

Jacob failed to suppress a yawn and Abberline nudged him gently in response.

“Move over.”

Jacob shifted, pushing himself against the back of the couch and patted the empty spot next to him. Abberline lowered himself carefully onto the couch, lay down next to him and settled into the soft, warm make-shift bed. Jacob immediately curled into him, once again pressing his face into Abberline’s neck, wrapping his arms around him tightly. Abberline combed his fingers through Jacob’s wind-blown hair absent-mindedly as he drowsily stared up at the ceiling. Everything was frozen in that moment, the universe was perfect and neither wanted to think that eventually the day would come and they would have to break apart. For the time both were content to enjoy the presence and warmth of each other and listen to the rumbling of the train as it went.

“Freddy?”

“Hm?”

“You can probably already tell, but I really like you.”

“I like you too, Jacob.”

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh I hope you guys enjoyed that, I worked super hard on it and I'm satisfied with the way it turned out. Leave a kudos or comment if you liked it ;) I wouldn't mind suggestions for future Jacob/Freddy fics in the comments if you have some!  
> <333


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